Project Lupa Chronicles The Pack vs the Red Room C1

Natasha had contacted her informants hoping for any information on Marcel's assassins ring, she gets back an unexpected response. She is horrified to learn that the Red Room is still active, her long lost 'sister' asks for help. What will she do? Includes events from Black Widow. Part 2 of Project Lupa read part 1 first.

Chapter 1

The Packs were still searching for Marcel and his people but life at SHIELD does not stand by; Coulson and his team are back on the bus heading to a location in Europe on reports of an O84. Maria is up on the Helicarrier working there, Clint has some time off, so he has gone home to Laura, Izzy is on a mission with Bobbie and Hunter much to Izzy's protest don't get her wrong she loves the two of them, but they bicker and disagree with each other one minute then the next they're making out. She feels like the grownup of two teenagers. Mac was stationed on the Odyssey in the garage working on engines leaving Natasha and Alex working missions although for the last week it had been them going around reaching out to different informants to see if they could find anything on Marcel. So far nothing, no trace, no word, and it was frustrating. Alex watched as Natasha took out her frustrations out on a punching bag, they were in a safe house somewhere in Canada. It had been 6 months since they fought the assassins, 3 months of traveling from place to place and nothing. Alex had opened up more to Natasha though, so she did take that as a bonus, she found that Alex had a twisted sense of humor and had a thing for food. Every place they went to she had to try something new. She was always on alert whenever they were out in public and would always look at her for instructions.

"You know you could join me if you wanted to." Natasha stated

"You're being emotional." Alex pointed out this made Natasha sigh and stop to look at her.

"I am frustrated, Marcel is more of a ghost than the Winter Soldier." Natasha retorted

"Bucky." Alex nodded she had been introduced to the Avengers and had met the Winter Soldier James Bucky Barnes Steve's best friend. Stark and Steve had a moment when they discovered what Bucky did it almost tore the Avengers apart, but Natasha and Pepper managed to convince them to mend the fence, Stark realized that Bucky had been brainwashed after getting reassurance from T'Challa and Zuri that he was no longer activated only then did things settle back down at the tower. Natasha had spent a lot of her time there during this time leaving Alex with Trip who had been benched due to an injury. Natasha would have brought her with her, but Stark was a little jumpy having too many assassins around. When Alex had been introduced to the Avengers she was merely introduced as a SHIELD agent. Stark was impressed with her powers and had asked so many questions. Alex found him annoying that was until they started talking engines then she tolerated the billionaire.

"Did you ever face him?" Natasha asked

"No, I tried to stay clear of other assassins." Alex replied

"But you knew of the Winter Soldier." Natasha pointed out

"I liked to stay updated, it is good to know who your enemies are." Alex replied

"We never asked you about the intel you might have, did we?" Natasha asked her now only thinking about it.

"You did, although you only stuck to information on Marcel."

"Do you have any other…interesting information that we could find useful."

"I know many things but how am I to know what you might find useful?" Alex asked back this made Natasha tightly smile, she forgot that Alex would sometimes take Natasha's words literally.

"How do you stay in the loop?"

"I have my sources." Alex replied

"But you haven't reached out to any of them." Natasha pointed out

"You were taking lead. I was told to support you."

"Okay, now I am telling you…to reach out to your sources." Natasha stated at this Alex moved over to a laptop and sat their typing away for half an hour before Natasha moved behind her after taking a shower to see her progress. She saw that she was on the dark web, but even with her understanding of it she could not understand what Alex was doing.

"I am checking my updates. I get left information and if I think it is worth my time, I select that source for more, this is when I usually pay them in some way. But you have claimed my accounts." Alex stated looking back at Natasha, it was true after Alex ran from them Maria had tightened her hold over Alex this included getting access to her hidden accounts.

"We haven't claimed your accounts…you just can't use it without Maria's permission." Natasha replied, "So anything taking your interest?"

"Not about Marcel, but there might be something…" Alex stopped typing before she opened up a chat. Natasha could tell it was in code but could not understand it. "Hmm."

"What is it?" Natasha asked there was a coded response, but Alex didn't seem to try to decode it.

"When you found out about Marcel, you said you would help take him down like you did the red room." Alex stated Natasha vaguely remembered saying something along those lines.

"I know, and I do intend…"

"That's not it." Alex waved her off

"Then what?'

"If what they say here is true…"

"What does it say?" Natasha asked

"Black Widows threat immediate." Alex stated

"What? Not possible." Natasha stated, "They're lying… what?" Natasha asked noting the look Alex was wearing.

"It is not the first time I have heard rumors of Black Widows. I had heard the stories of the Red Room, I knew you were from there. But this makes sense. We were competing with someone." Alex stated closing her eyes trying to remember.

"What do you mean?"

"When we were there…there was another group. Damnit why can't I remember?" She slammed her hand on the table with a growl.

"Calm down." Natasha stated feeling Alex's wolf stir in anger. Alex took the command and instantly calmed down, Natasha herself was slightly freaking out but she wasn't going to let Alex know that. After getting as much information as they could Natasha called it a night and made Alex get some rest. She herself was still up, trying to think of what to do next. If the red room was still active then that meant all these years…she shook her head, now was not the time to think on that.

'What do you need?' Maria asked over their bond she could feel Natasha's distress.

'For you to tell me it's not true.' Natasha retorted but sighed she knew Maria could not tell her that. They were meant to be dealing with Marcel now the possible threat of the red room…she couldn't drag her family into this. 'I need some time, there are some places I can check.' She told Maria

'Take Alex.'

'Maria.'

'You don't want SHIELD fine, but you are having someone watch your back. You either take Alex or I will come to you with the entire pack.' Maria informed her once again causing Natasha to sigh. 'You should get some sleep take the safe house stash I will get someone to restock it later.' Maria added knowing that the safe house had a stash bag full of cash and id's along with other items one might need if they had to go on the run.

'What about Marcel?'

'The others are on it including Vic's pack. Go, just know that if you need us we will be there.'

The next day they made their way to Budapest, Natasha was surprised Alex didn't ask any questions when she told her the plan. She simply grabbed her stuff and booked them flights.

"Is this your first time to Budapest?" Natasha asked as they walked through the streets, both of them were alert and on edge scanning their surrounding for any sign of threats. She mainly did this seeming Alex had remained silent for the entire flight; Alex turned to look at her.

"Would it make you feel better if I said yes?" Alex asked her

"That response makes me think I do not want to know what you were doing here last time." Natasha retorted

"Would you tell me what you did here last time?" Alex asked Natasha really looked at her trying to decipher if she was pulling her leg or something else. When Alex smiled, she got her answer.

"Who told you?"

"There is a running bet on what happened here with you and Barton. If I was into that sort of thing, which I am not, your past is yours I can only assume your history with this place is probably as bad as mine. So, let's not be here too long." Alex replied indicating for Natasha to take the lead once again. This had Natasha thinking that it could not be as bad as her experience, but she did not want to get into it.

"Up ahead on our left, hang back if I need you, I will call." Natasha told her Alex gave her a nod before walking off to the right leaving Natasha to enter a safe house, she thought she would never use again.

AN: So here is part 2 of my project Lupa series, it jumps right in and the next couple of chapters will contain scenes from Black Widow movie although slightly different. I do not own any Marvel characters. What do you think happens? What will Natasha do? her past is coming back to haunt her, how will the pack react? What will Marcel do?